


Princess and the Chat

by Hidden_Prophet



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Add in a bit of Marichat, Adrien thinks he's so slick, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Eventual reveal, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.exe Has Stopped Working, On Indefinite Hiatus, Read at Your Own Risk, and voilà, toss in some adrienette, we get two oblivious dorks, who can't seem to stop blushing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:29:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22150333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hidden_Prophet/pseuds/Hidden_Prophet
Summary: It was Valentine's Day and Marinette had finally worked up the courage to tell Adrien how she felt. She’d planned out the whole day-- down to the very last second on the clock-- and the only thing left to do was send the video she’d recorded with Alya’s help. So it was only fitting that life tossed her a curve-ball in the shape of a leather-clad, pun-spewing superhero landing softly on her balcony with a rose tucked into his belt, throwing her carefully laid-out plan into disarray.“H-he just… Chat Noir- I-” The girl cut off with a loud whine. “That blasted cat just kissed me!”
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 17
Kudos: 133





	1. A Rose by Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> Be warned that I've only read through this chapter three times, so there might be mistakes.
> 
> This is an idea I had sitting in an unopened doc for a couple months, now, so I thought I'd bring it back and share it with you all! Enjoy!

It was Valentine's Day and Marinette had finally worked up the courage to tell Adrien how she felt. She’d planned out the whole day-- down to the very last second on the clock-- and the only thing left to do was send the video she’d recorded with Alya’s help. So it was only fitting that life tossed her a curve-ball in the shape of a leather-clad, pun-spewing superhero landing softly on her balcony with a rose tucked into his belt, throwing her carefully laid-out plan into disarray.

“Gah!” Marinette jumped out of her skin when he cleared his throat, whipping around and nearly dropping the phone in her shaking hands when her foot caught a particularly treacherous patch of thin air, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Luckily-- or unluckily, as the usual case was around the boy-- Chat’s reflexes kicked in and he caught her arm, pulling her towards his body to keep her from face-planting. There was a moment when she was close enough to breathe him in, inwardly swooning at the subtle cologne he wore before giving herself a mental slap as he righted her and allowed her to take a hasty step back in retreat.

“I a-paw-logize, Princess. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, wide eyes sincere, despite the pun.

Marinette gave a sharp nod, willing the blush creeping up and around her neck to fade away before he could spot in on her cheeks. “It-it’s okay. I’ve been jumpy today, anyway. Uh- so what are you… what are you doing here, Mon Minou? There’s not an akuma, is there?” she asked, knowing full well that if there had been, Tikki would have alerted her.

The ravenette quirked a brow as the skin visible below his mask turned pink. Chat lifted a clawed hand to scratch at the back of his neck, averting his eyes nervously. It wasn’t really an expression she associated with her partner in justice, so she felt her shoulders tense in preparation for whatever reason he had to give.

“Well, uh…” Chat glanced down and seemed to recall something before taking the rose from his belt and offering it to the girl, finally meeting her eyes with a timid smile-- so unlike his usual, signature grins that she had no choice but to accept it, bringing it to her face to inhale slowly, if only to put him at ease.

“The truth is…” The blond breathed deeply before setting his shoulders. “I like you, Marinette. I have for a while. You’re one of the sweetest girls I know. Everyone adores you. You’re talented and hardworking and brave. I… I’ve seen you standing up to people like Chloe Bourgeois like it’s nothing-- and not even on your own behalf. You’re always looking out for other people, regardless of how it affects you. You’re like our everyday Ladybug.”

Marinette pinked at his words, recalling a point where Adrien had said much the same thing to her. And then she felt her heart swoop low because he sounded so sure of himself that it had to have meant he knew her out-of-costume. “Ch-chat-”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said with a soft smile. “I just wanted you to know. I’ll, uh… I’ll see you around. Goodnight, Purrincess.”

Marinette watched, unable to do anything but gape, as Chat hesitated, took a deep breath, and stepped closer. He leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek, and then he was gone. The designer slowly lifted a hand to touch the spot, the warmth from his lips quickly receding with each passing moment.

_What._

“Are you alright, Marinette?” chirped a small voice, Tikki doing nothing to hide the amusement in her tone as she flitted over from her hiding spot next to one of the flower pots littering the rooftop.

“H-he just… Chat Noir- I-” The girl cut off with a loud whine. “That blasted cat just kissed me!”

Tikki giggled and twirled happily through the air, sighing dreamily. “I know! Wasn’t it romantic?”

“Roman- _no_ ! Tikki, he’s not supposed to kiss me! He loves Ladybug, not… not Marinette!” The ravenette tugged at one of her pigtails in frustration, spinning on her heel to start pacing back and forth. “What am I going to do? He said he liked me, Tikki! Why’d he have to be so- so _stupid_?”

“He thinks he can just… _show up_ and declare his love? That mangy cat- with his puns and his stupid, fat, pretty face! He even smells good!” Marinette exclaimed, whipping around to stare incredulously at her kwami.

Tikki nodded solemnly, though her eyes flashed with unbridled glee. “You’re right, Marinette. The nerve…”

“Tikki, this is serious!” Marinette groaned loudly as she tossed herself onto the lounge chair next to her skylight, slumping over pathetically. She blinked down at the rose she’d forgotten she’d been holding and gingerly set it on her thigh, running the tip of her finger over the petals. Despite her reservations about the flirtatious cat, she found herself fighting a smile at the warmth blossoming in her heart. “Do… do you think he was telling the truth?”

“Chat Noir wouldn’t lie about something like this,” Tikki said smartly, flitting over to settle down on her charge’s shoulder.

The girl let her head fall back with a heavy sigh. She closed her eyes and frowned, smothering the giddy feeling rising in her chest in order to focus on the battling emotions in her heart. “What do I do, Tikki? I really like Adrien, but…”

“But you like Chat, too?”

Marinette nodded miserably, unable to voice it lest the world fold in on itself as a result. “I- I can’t choose. Chat is my partner and my best friend, but Adrien… He’s so sweet and handsome and- and perfect.”

“You don’t have to choose right away, Marinette,” Tikki said softly, patting the girl’s cheek and smiling when she opened her eyes to peek up at the kwami. “It’s normal to like more than one person.”

“B-but I already sent the video, Tikki!” Marinette exclaimed, shooting up to reach for the phone she’d placed beside her. “What if he decides he likes me back! What about Chat?”

Tikki gave a motherly _tsk_ and zipped down to hover in front of the girl’s face. “Just because you were honest about your feelings doesn’t mean that you’re going to start dating. You still have time.”

Marinette let go of the breath she’d unknowingly been holding. “Right. You’re right… No one said I had to choose right away,” she decided, nodding once. She rose to her feet and stared down at the rose between her fingers. She allowed a fond smile to tug at her lips as she brought the rose up to her nose, climbing back down into her room.

And if that smile grew wider when she crossed her room to place the rose in a vase, humming a little under her breath, Tikki thought it would be wiser not to mention it.

  
  


═════════•°• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •°•═════════

  
  


Adrien was dead. He was sure of it-- no one could survive the temperatures at which he was certain his body was running at. His cheeks had grown to be a brighter red than his favorite spotted heroine’s suit. He sat at his computer desk, eyes glued to his phone, Plagg cackling in the background.

Two minutes.

The exact overall time for the video he’d just watched to turn his world upside down in the best possible way. Because whether she knew it or not, his favorite raven-haired classmate had just made Chat Noir’s whole year.

“Tough luck, kid,” Plagg was saying through laughter. “You confessed to her as Chat only to have her fall for Adrien!”

Adrien shot an unimpressed look at his kwami, but he couldn’t hold back his wide grin for long. “So? We’re the same person, Plagg.”

“ _She_ doesn’t know that,” he pointed out before apparently deciding he was tired of the conversation. He zipped over from Adrien’s bed and phased through the boy’s wardrobe. A moment later, he reappeared with the container of Camembert he’d stashed that morning.

Adrien rolled his eyes at his kwami’s antics before returning his attention to the phone in his hands. His cheeks had yet to return to their normal color and they still ached from the smile he’d worn since he’d gotten back from Marinette’s.

The same Marinette who’d just admitted to having a crush on him since the year prior.

“What should I do, Plagg?" Adrien asked with a grin, swiveling around in his computer chair.

"Get me more cheese," Plagg answered simply.

Adrien sighed at that, figuring he should have known the fairy wouldn't be much help. His exasperation didn’t last for long, though, before his phone chimed with a message from Nino.

_Did you see it? -N_

_Alya wants to know. -N_

Adrien felt his flush return full-force when he realized what the other boy meant and thought for a moment before replying.

_Tell her yes. -A_

_don’t mess with me, agreste. and…? -N_

_its worth noting that if you hurt her, ill cut off your bahdjkbnpk -N_

When his phone went off again, Adrien would have chuckled if he hadn’t been so embarrassed; he could just about imagine Nino swiping the phone away from Alya before she could complete whatever horrible threat she’d come up with.

_I don’t plan on it, Alya. -A_

_Sorry, man. I’ll make sure she stays away from your bahdjkbnpk. -N_

_But seriously if you hurt Nette… I don’t even think I’d want to stop Alya from maiming you. -N_

Adrien rolled his eyes at that, but felt a warmth grow high in his chest; he hadn’t been lying when he’d said that everyone adored her. It was clear by how protective they were over her. Even Nino, who was his best friend and, therefore, obligated to default to his side if things went South.

_I wouldn’t want you to stop her. I’d probably deserve it. -A_

With that, it seemed like Alya was satisfied for the moment because the texts stopped coming. Without the distraction, the blond was unable to resist the urge to switch back over to the video he’d saved, and for what would be the first of many times that night, he hit replay.


	2. Facing Fears and Fearing Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien thinks he's smooth and Marinette.exe stops working

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I was too excited to post this so I only proofread once and probably not very well. Enjoy!

“I’m such an idiot,” Marinette said, standing beside her friend on the school steps. Her red face was buried in her hands, her body turned away from the street as if it would keep the inevitable from happening.

Alya sighed for the third time that morning and rubbed circles on the designer’s back. “You’re not an idiot.”

“What was I thinking? Now he knows! What if he never wants to talk to me again?”

Marinette stilled at the thought, blood running cold. Dreams of cuddling up next to the model beside their fireplace in the house they owned together-- surrounded by three children and their new hamster-- went up in smoke. She whimpered.  _ At least she still had Chat. _

The redhead patted her head before stepping away and poking her arm. “Girl, chill out. Besides, it’s too late to take it back, anyway. Here they come.”

The ravenette groaned into her hands, shaking her head when her friend attempted to move them away from her face. “Leave me here to die.”

“Oh,  _ please _ . Stop being so melodramatic. C’mon, girl, face your fears!”

“I don’t want to face my fears. I want my fears to leave my face alone. I like my face how it is,” Marinette mumbled, but she shifted her arms, anyway.

Alya quirked a brow at her when she finally looked up, but didn’t comment. Marinette guessed she was well enough versed in Mari-speak to understand without actually being able to…well, understand.

“Morning, dudes,” Nino greeted, coming up the steps beside Adrien.

“Good morning, ladies,” Adrien said, a smile in his voice.

“Hi, Nino. Adrien.” The reporter cleared her throat and dug her elbow into Marinette’s ribs when she didn’t respond. The girl yelped, head snapping up.

Marinette squeaked when she realized all eyes were on her and stubbornly refused to meet Adrien’s. Her cheeks burned. “M-morning.”

“Did you sleep well?” Adrien asked, head tilted in concern, causing Alya and Nino to share a puzzled look.

Marinette furrowed her brow at the question, but dipped her head. “Y-yeah.”

It was apparently the answer he’d been looking for, because he nodded in satisfaction. Alya cleared her throat. “Right,” she drawled. “Should we head to class?”

“Sure thing,” Adrien said, smiling. Then he turned back to Marinette, who’d allowed herself to relax when it was clear he wasn’t rejecting her. At least not yet. 

“Are you sure you’re not tired?” he asked, and Marinette wrinkled her nose, wondering if there was more to it that she didn't understand. Before she could ask, he threw her a wink and a crooked smirk that put Chat Noir to shame. “Because you’ve been running through my mind all night.”

_ Marinette.exe has stopped working. _

Had… had  _ Adrien Agreste  _ just used a pick-up line on her?  _ Her _ ?  _ Marinette Dupain-Cheng _ ? With a  _ smirk _ ? No. Certainly not. It had to have been a trick of the light. She was probably dreaming. That’s it-- she was still asleep. There was no way her long-time crush and famous model was  _ that  _ cheesy. Maybe he’d been taking lessons from Chat Noir? She’d have to put a stop to that right away. How dare her kitty corrupt such a sweet, honorable soul! But then again, it  _ had  _ been rather adorable. Maybe-

“...nette.  _ Marinette _ !”

The ravenette snapped back into reality when she registered Alya’s voice and shook her head to clear away the last unintelligible thoughts racing around her brain. “W-what?”

“Mon dieu,” Alya said with a laugh. “C’mon, girl. We’ll be late for class.”

Apparently, in her mental breakdown, the boys had gone inside. It was just as well; Marinette didn’t think she could follow any more conversation with that smirk replaying in her head-- when did he even  _ learn  _ to smirk, anyway? Was Gabriel even aware that his son could do that? Were there classes for that type of thing? Did Chat attend, if there were? He probably did. It was just like her kitty to-

Alya’s low whistle was what captured her attention again. “That really got to you, didn’t it.”

“H-he  _ winked  _ at me,” Marinette sputtered.

“Oh,  _ girl _ .” Alya sighed and shook her head pityingly before grabbing ahold of the designer’s arm and all but dragging her to class.

  
  


═════════•°• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •°•═════════

  
  


“I think you broke her, dude,” Nino said when they were out of sight of the girls. “She looked all… spacey. Like, more than usual.”

“Was it too much?” Adrien asked, feeling the grin slip from his face. “I should go apologize to her, shouldn’t I?”

Nino placed a hand on his arm before the blond could turn and walk off to do just that. “Nah, man. She’ll be fine… I think…But,” he said, flicking his cap out of his eyes, “maybe don’t do it again? At least until after class.”

“Right,” Adrien agreed with a determined nod; the last thing he wanted to do was make the girl uncomfortable. “After class.”

It was then, as the boys were settling into their seats, that Alya led a red-faced Marinette into the room with a hand on her shoulder. When the ravenette looked up, Adrien offered a soft smile, earning a startled squeak from the girl as she averted her eyes.

The rest of their class passed in much the same fashion-- Adrien would take whatever chances he could get to make the girl feel more comfortable around him, whether it was with friendly smiles or innocent inquiries, and the designer would flush and turn her gaze away from him in embarrassment. By the end of their second period, however, when they were gathering their things, Adrien counted it as a personal victory that he’d had a moment of direct eye contact with the girl in which she’d actually returned one of his smiles, albeit timidly. It was such an adorable expression, that he really couldn’t be faulted for the next words out of his mouth.

“Did the sun come out, or did you just smile at me?”

_ Great going, Agreste,  _ Adrien scolded himself when the designer’s eyes widened, cheeks that had only just begun to return to their normal color burning brightly. Alya smothered an amused laugh behind a hand as her friend whipped around to stare incredulously at her, like she couldn’t believe her own ears and was searching for a sign it had really happened.

“Girl, are you  _ sure  _ about him?” Alya asked, sending a teasing wink over to the flushed boy. “Who knew Mr. Model was such a cheesy dork?”

Before Adrien could respond-- with what, he didn’t know-- Nino snorted. “Dude’s always been cheesy. He learns it from those Japanese cartoons he watches.”

Alya gasped at that and waggled her eyebrows at the model staring in disbelief at his friend. “Adrien’s a  _ weeb _ ?”

“I am  _ not _ ,” he argued before glancing down, cheeks turning a deeper pink. “I just… like anime.”

“He totally is! What other dark secrets is our sunshine-child hiding?”

Nino narrowed his eyes in thought, completely ignoring the warning look he was getting from the blond. “He’s got like… an arsenal of puns. Dude could put Chat Noir to shame.”

“Nino...” Adrien glared at the boy.

Alya quirked a brow and Adrien groaned in defeat when it seemed that they were dead-set on ignoring his protests. “I wouldn’t have guessed. Anything else?”

“Well,” Nino said, tapping his chin in thought with a grin. “He’s got a cheese obsession.”

“Nino,  _ please _ ,” Adrien pleaded, his turn to rest his flushed face in his hands.

A soft voice chimed up behind him and he peered at Marinette through the cracks of his fingers to see her fiddling with her hands, face still a bright red but more faded than his was at that point. “G-guys, be nice.”

“At least Marinette still likes me,” Adrien mumbled softly, earning yet another squeak from the girl. “She’s my new best friend,” he told Nino a second later, grinning through his embarrassment.

“Oh, c’mon, man,” the boy said with a laugh. “You don’t mean that.”

“Oh, I do,” Adrien replied, waggling his eyebrows, gaining back his confidence when the conversation turned away from poking fun at him. He moved closer to the ravenette in question and draped an arm over her shoulders. “At least she won’t betray me and repeat things I told her in  _ confidence _ .”

Nino’s eye twitched. He looked ready to protest, but a moment later, his eyes flashed mischievously and he grabbed Alya’s hand, all but whisking her out of the room. “Alright, sounds good, man! I guess that means she won’t need Alya for lunch! Have fun with your new best friend!”

“Wha-  _ Alya _ ,” Marinette called, seemingly snapping out of whatever had her so quiet.

“Sorry, girl,” the redhead said with a laugh as she disappeared through the doorway. They could hear her call back, “Have fun!”

Marinette whined, covering her face with her hands. Adrien frowned at that and gently removed his arm from her person. He scratched at the back of his neck. “Uh, we don’t have to… I mean, they’re probably waiting for us outside.”

She straightened, then, setting her shoulders and taking a deep breath. There was a fierce determination blazing in her eyes when she turned to face him, all traces of her blush gone. “You’re right. Come on.”

Adrien choked on a reply when the girl grabbed his wrist and tugged him out of the classroom in much the same fashion that Nino had. He felt a pang of disappointment when he realized her new courage was likely due to her desperation to get rid of him and almost opened his mouth to apologize when they reached their friends. Marinette led them towards the two teenagers grinning madly-- standing on the steps like the blond had predicted-- and then… kept going.

“W-wait, Alya’s-”

“You heard her,” Marinette said, jutting out her chin as Alya called after them, a mix of laughter and confusion in her voice. “She told us to have fun. MechaStrike and lunch at my house?”

“Uh,” Adrien said, blinking owlishly at the girl when she grinned. “Okay.”

A moment later, she seemed to realize she still had his arm in her grip because she hastily dropped it and sputtered out an apology, her cheeks growing red yet again. “Uh, s-sorry. You… you don’t have to. I just thought…” She paused, averting her eyes. “Nino probably wanted to hang out with you, anyway. You don’t have-”

“I want to,” Adrien said, smiling wide when the girl met his eyes again. He placed his hand on her shoulder-- a gesture he’d seem depicted as being reassuring; he’d adopted it back when he thought the girl was simply intimidated by him in hopes that it would help her grow more comfortable around him. He supposed it had counted for more than he’d initially thought.

“O...okay,” she said, her smile growing.

“Okay,” he repeated with a wink, earning a deeper blush from the girl. “Lead the way, Gorgeous.”

She choked on yet another surprised squeak, but Adrien didn’t let her dwell on it for long as he began walking, shoving his hands in his pockets and whistling an innocent tune, fighting a smirk when the girl mumbled something to herself before trailing after him.


	3. Midnight Mushiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat is a romantic weeb and Marinette has Feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I apologize for not having this out sooner! Writer's Block came to visit, but I eventually kicked him out and threw his things out into the street! This chapter was not proofread, as I was too excited to get it out, so if you happen to catch any mistakes, please let me know! <3

Marinette collapsed onto her chaise after one of the longest weeks of her life. She was sure her face was a permanent red, now, and her heart had been behaving erratically the whole time.

“Boys are stupid,” she said to no one in particular as she buried her face in one of the throw pillows to stifle a frustrated scream. She felt a soft weight settle on her shoulder and she turned her head to peek up at her kwami. “What do you think it means?”

Tikki smiled softly, apparently realizing exactly what her charge meant. “I think it means Adrien likes you, Marinette.”

“ _ Likes me _ ? He can’t like me, Tikki!” Marinette shot to her feet, the kwami letting out a good-natured sigh as the ravenette started pacing her bedroom floor. “It’s bad enough that Chat Noir’s convinced he likes me!”

“I thought you were hoping he’d like you back,” the fairy said uncertainly, clearly confused by the girl’s behavior.

“I do! I mean, I did.” Marinette sighed and plopped down in her computer chair, swiveling her mouse to stare at the desktop. “I don’t know anymore, Tikki. All the sudden he’s f-flirting with me and using horrible pick-up lines that I’d expect from Chat. And Chat… showing up every night with a rose and… and…”

Marinette felt her cheeks burn for the umpteenth time that day, alone. Ever since the night he’d shown up to confess, Chat appeared every night around the same time with a rose tucked in his belt and a compliment on his lips. He’d waxed poetry about her hair or eyes before bringing up something he’d witnessed her do that day that made him proud. Just yesterday, he’d recalled his admiration when he’d seen her stay late to help Nathaniel and Marc with their comic. The story had made her blush initially-- she hadn’t been aware of anyone else in the school-- before she froze. It had only cemented the fact that he knew her out of costume and she’d spent what little time she’d had that morning where Adrien wasn’t making her blush with silly lines and flirty comments searching for a head of messy, blond hair.

Needless to say, she hadn’t spotted anyone who could pass for her kitty.

__ _ Tap, tap, tap _ .

“Speak of the devil,” Marinette mumbled, feeling the tell-tale flip of her heart that usually accompanied Chat’s arrival. “Hide, Tikki.”

Quite used to the drill by then, Tikki only pressed a pod to the girl’s cheek with a reassuring smile, and then zipped over to hide somewhere in the various fabrics strewn all over the designer’s workstation.

With a sigh and another flutter of her heart, Marinette pulled open her skylight to allow the leather-clad hero into her room. Like the polite kitten she'd found he was, Chat jumped down from her balcony and made sure to stick his feet out as to not track dirt or whatever else he'd stepped in on the way on her clean sheets.

"Good evening, Purrincess," he smarmed, tossing a wink her way when he noticed her flush.

"B-back again, Mon Minou? Don't you have a lady to seduce?" Marinette asked, though the slight roll of her eyes felt more like an obligation at that point.

"Au contraire, Mademoiselle. You’re the only girl I’d like to seduce," he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

_ If only he knew _ , Marinette mused silently. "I should have listened to Maman-- feeding a stray only invites him to return for more."

"You wound me, Marinette! You say the cruelest things."

"So I take it you don't want a croissant?" she asked with a nervous grin; as fast as he made her heart race, she knew how to handle her silly cat, so it hadn't been hard to keep up their banter after the initial awkwardness from the night he'd returned after confessing. It was one thing she was grateful for in the mess that had become her life and she wished she could manage the same thing around Adrien.

Chat frowned. "Now, let's not be hasty! You wouldn't really send a poor kitten out in the rain with an empty stomach, would you?"

"It's not even raining, Kitty," Marinette pointed out with an amused huff.

"But it might!" Chat argued before puffing out his bottom lip and turning his wide, round eyes on the ravenette.

The girl rolled her eyes again, but she cracked a smile as she led the superhero down into her room to hand him the plate of freshly baked goods that had been sitting on her desk awaiting his arrival. He grinned wide as he accepted it and glanced down with a soft ' _ oh _ '.

"This is for you, Princess."

Marinette accepted the rose he untucked from his belt and gave it a much longer sniff than needed in order to hide her flushed cheeks before gingerly setting it in the vase of water atop her desk with the other flowers.

When she turned back around, Chat had nearly finished off the plate and she giggled softly behind a hand. "Hungry?"

His eyes flashed when he glanced up at her and he waggled his eyebrows. "Ravenous. Merci, Marinette."

"Flirt," she accused with another roll of her eyes.

"Only for you, Princess," he replied easily. Her breath caught at the open sincerity in his eyes and she smiled back at him.

With a cough, Chat settled down onto the chaise and stared expectantly up at her until she took a seat next to him. When she was seated, he side-eyed her and flashed such a genuine grin that it caused the designer's heart to skip a beat.

"Today it was your smile," he began, much like he had all week, only the day before it had apparently been her eyes. It had the girl blushing furiously before he'd even said another word, but she knew better than to get up or look away; he’d put a stop to that almost instantly the second night when he’d refused to stop complimenting her until she listened to what he’d had to say-- even if it took all night, he’d said. She’d buckled up right away and gave him her full attention, if only to get him to leave faster so she could scream into her pillow. Which, she thought, she’d likely be doing again if his adoring smile was anything to tell by.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile as brightly as you did today. Even from across the courtyard, it nearly blinded me,” he teased, before growing serious once more. “It was like you’d put everything you have into it. You were so genuinely happy and it felt… It felt like a warm hug from a loved one, or the moment the sun comes back out after a rainstorm. I can’t wait to see that smile again.”

“Chat…” Marinette breathed, reaching up to wipe at the moisture gathering in her eyes.

The boy met her eyes once more, looking as if he’d been somewhere else as he recalled the memory. He turned fully towards her and replaced her hands with his, gently cupping her face and gingerly wiping her cheeks, mindful of his claws. It was another thing she’d had no choice but to notice; he was always so gentle with her. It wasn’t as if he was afraid of breaking her, but rather he was in awe of her and handled her accordingly.

“Don’t worry about saying anything,” he repeated, as he did every night. “I know there’s another guy. I don’t expect anything back. I just had to tell you.”

“I want to,” she said, and she realized that she did. She took a deep breath and took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking again, “I… I can’t promise you anything. I… I’m confused and… and scared, but I like you, too.”

It was quiet for some time in which Chat blinked at her, a smile playing at his lips, before he ruined the mood by winking. “I know. Who wouldn’t like moi? I mean… I’m claw-some!”

Marinette sighed and pushed the boy off the chaise with yet another roll of her eyes. “Right. Way to ruin the mood, Romeo,” she said as he flexed his arms from his spot on the floor. “You better go before Ladybug catches you accosting a poor, defenseless civilian.”

He snorted at that, but got to his feet. “Defenseless…  _ Right _ .  _ You  _ were the one who hit me with a broom the second time I showed up, Purrincess.”

“And I have long since regretted it,” she said innocently before narrowing her eyes. “I should have hit you harder. Maybe then, you wouldn’t have shown up the next time.”

“Meow-tch! You really  _ do  _ say the cruelest things. Well, speak no longer, fair lady,” he said with a huff, tilting his chin up and turning to make his way back to the ladder to her loft. “I’m afraid you’ve made your point. I shan’t return again.”

Marinette laughed at the forlorn sag to his posture. She shot up and raced over just as he reached the bottom rung, however, reluctant to let him leave without letting him know how serious she’d been earlier. She threw her arms around his waist and was glad he was faced the opposite way and was therefore unable to see her rapidly darkening face. “Th-thank you, Chat. It means a lot to me. I really do like you.”

He softened in her arms and she could practically feel his gentle smile as he turned his head to look at her. “Of course, Marinette. I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay?”

“Goodnight, Chat.”

“Goodnight, Princess. Sleep well,” he said before she released him and watched as he tossed down one last wink before climbing back onto the roof and disappearing. Marinette stood there for another moment, her heart incredibly full and warm like it had been every night for the past week.

Tikki’s quiet presence eventually captured the girl’s attention, though, and she turned to face the kwami that was grinning brightly at her. “That was so sweet, Marinette. I’m proud of you for being honest.”

“It feels… better now,” the ravenette said softly. “Lighter. Like a weight has been lifted off my chest.”

Tikki matched the girl’s slow-growing smile and flitted closer in order to nuzzle against her charge’s cheek. “Does that mean you’ve chosen?”

The designer let out a soft sigh and shook her head, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know. I’ve lov-  _ liked  _ Adrien for so long and I don’t think those feelings will go away anytime soon, but…”

The kwami nodded in understanding, a knowing gleam in her eyes. “Don’t worry, Marinette. You always figure out what to do,” she said matter-of-factly.

“I hope you’re right, Tikki. But not tonight,” Marinette said through a sudden yawn.

“Get some sleep, Marinette! You’ll need it when you face Adrien tomorrow,” Tikki giggled.

Marinette grumbled. “Right. Thanks for reminding me.”

“Of course! Goodnight, Marinette.”

Despite the eyeroll the ravenette gave the kwami, she smiled softly at her friend as she climbed up to her loft. “Goodnight, Tikki.”


End file.
